Retort for carbonizing wood.



No. S34-Jal.

Patented Oct. 3, |899.

W. H. BOWERS. RETORT FOR CRBUNIZING WOOD.

(Application led Dec. S, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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UNTTED STATES PATENT frrrcm WILLIAM HADFIELI) BOWERS, OF MANCHESTER,ENGLAND.

RETORT FOR CARBONIZING WOOD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,161, dated October3, 1899.

Application led December 8, 1897. Serial No. 661,126. (No model.)

` To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HADFIELD BOWERS, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, residing at West Gorton ,Manchesteig in the county ofLancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful improvements inretorts for the carbonization of wood and other vegetable substances andthe-dry ing of mannres, sewage, sludge, peat, and other substances andproducts, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No.17,623, bearing date October 15, 1891,) of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvementsin retorts for the carbonization ofwood and other vegetable substances and the drying of sewage and manuresin large or small quantities, sludge-cake, (which is the residuum lefton the top of the filter-bed when the sewage is filtered,) peat, andsubstances and products generally Whether in their natural state or whenreduced by any ordinary method of condensation into a form convenientfor being subjected to the action of the retort.

According to the said invention the retort is constructed with two ormore parallel flues extending in a longitudinal direction along andwithin the retort and lying one above the other, but both or all, as thecase may be, fed by the same furnace and finally discharging into thesame outlet. For the purposes of more particular explanation I assumethat the retort is constructed with two such flues; but it will beunderstood that the number of flues may be increased to any number thatcan be reached by the heat from the furnace. The space immediately overeach iiue forms a chamber through which an endless chain with bars atsuitable intervals and of such width as to sweep the ioor oi" lowersurface of the chamber and carried upon sprocketwheels draws thesubstance or product to be operated upon (and which I hereinafter referto as the material from the point where it is supplied to the retortalong and over the upper iiue to the extremity of that flue, where thematerial falls into a space between such extremity and thesprocket-wheel onto the chain as it runs below. The material is thendrawn by the chain in the reverse direction along and over the lowerline until it falls over the extremity of that flue through anyconvenient aperture provided for its dis charge from the retort. Theconnection of the lower [ine with the higher iiue is effected by meansof an elbow or outside flue at the point most distant from the furnace.The sprocket-wheels are placed in the same plane with and outside eachend-of the upper flue at distances convenient for the proper working ofthe chain and the fall of the material when it reaches the extremity ofthe upper flue.

The gas driven off during the process escapes by ordinarycondenser-pipes, leaving the gas from each chamber to bedealt with inthe ordinary manner.

By means of the foregoing arrangement the heat from a single furnace isutilized to heat both the chambers, and the material as it is drawnthrough the lower chamber is exposed to heat coming from above as wellas from below, with the result that labor and time as well as fuel areeeonomized.

The hopper by which the material is fed to the retortis constructed witha bottom hinged at the side farthest from the direction in which thechain travels, so as to fall downward and onto the chain. As the bars ofthe chain successively catch the lower edge of the hinged bottom theypush the bottom onward and upward and close it wholly or in part, and aseach bar passes clear from under the edge the bottom falls back, and soreleases from the hopper a supply of material which falls onto thechain. The further passage of the material is regulated by means of acheck or regulator consisting of a metal plate placed in and extendingat right angles across the upper chamber at or near a point immediatelybeyond the space beneath the hopper, but opposite to the side to whichthe bottom is hinged. This plate hangs and works upon a rod which may ormay not project through one or both of the sides of the retort and towhich may be fitted a lever by means whereof the plate is raised orlowered as required to permit or regulate the passage of the material.If desired, the resistance of the plate may be automatically Aregulatedby a weight upon the lever. The material is carried through and alongeach chamber bymeans of the successive bars of the chain.

In order that my invention may be more IOO clearly understood, I willnow describe, by reference to the accompanying drawings, a mode ormanner of carrying the same into practical effect, taking as an examplea retort constructed with two flues and two chambers only. It is to beunderstood that, as before stated, a greater number of flues andchambers maybe employed and that the hopper and regulator, as described,maybe used for feeding any retort worked with an endH less chain passinglongitudinally along the heating chamber or chambers.

Figure l represents the elevation of a retort constructed according tomy said invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of such a retort.Fig. 3 is a plan showing the positions of the hopper, regulator withlever, and the endless chain and sprocket-wheels.

Similarlettersrefertosimilarpartsthroughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 2, the heat passes from the furnace at the point Ainto and through the lower ilue in the direction indicated in thedrawings to the farther end of that flue, whence itis carried by anelbow or outside ilue A' into the upper fine, and so in the directionindicated to the point N, whence it is discharged into the outer air.

rThe material being placed in the hopper C is allowed by the hingedbottom e to fall upon the endless chain the bars G G of whichalternately raise and lower the hopper-bottom c, thereby closing thehopper wholly or partly and effecting an intermittent feed of thematerial upon the chain G G in regular quantities, the material beingthen carried and swept by the chain against and past the regulator H,which spreads the same evenly across the surface of the chain. Theregulator II, which forms an extension of one side of the hopper C andis pivoted to the sides of the drying-chamber, rises slightly while thematerial is passed underneath it bythe chain and is caused to retain itsperpendicular position through its own weight or by means of the leverK, acting, if necessary, by means of the weight Il. The material is thencarried or swept by lthe bars of the chain through the upper chamber andat the back end of the latter falls between the outer extremity of theue N and the adjacent sprocket-wheel O onto the chain as it enters thelower chamber I), and so is carried or swept in the reverse directionthrough the lower chamber and between the upper iue and the lower l flueto the point Q at the extremity of the lower chamber, where it falls oris carried through a convenient aperture into a receptacle or isotherwise discharged from the retort.

The gases evolved during the process are carried oft by means ofcondensing-pipes R and R, fitted at convenient points.

The retortis set and heated and the sprocketwheels are driven in theordinary manuel'.

I prefer to use the endless chain constructed as described; butanyequivalent mechanical arrangement for carrying the material along thechambers may be adopted.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. In retorts for carbonizing materials, a single endless bar-chain,running in a horizontal plane, a hot-air flue below the lower portion ofthe chain, a hot-air flue in the space between the upper and lowerportions of the chain, a connection between the lower flue and theintermediate flue consisting of an outside elbow and an exhaust-pipe,connected with the spaces in which the chain travels.

2. In retorts for carbonizing and drying vegetable and other material, asingle endless bar-chain rotated by two sprocket-wheels in a horizontalplane inside a chamber and a hopper for feeding the said chain with thematerial to be treated, the said hopper being furnished with a hingedbottom, adapted to ride upon and be raised and lowered alternately bythe chain-bars, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a retort for carbonizing and drying vegetable and other material,a single endless bar-chain rotated by two sprocket-wheels in ahorizontal plane inside a chamber, a hopper for feeding the said chainwith the material to be treated, furnished at one side with ahingedbottom adapted to ride upon the said chain and on the other side with apivoted regulator H forming an extension and operated upon by thematerial fed upon the said chain, all substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

\VILLIAM IIADFIELD BOVERS.

Witnesses:

FERD. BossHARDT, STANLEY E. BRAMALL.

IOO

